2026

New coherent competence and career development system introduced from 2026

The new coherent system includes all employees in kindergarten, primary and lower secondary school and after school care ('SFO'), upper secondary education, including apprenticeship training and primary, lower secondary and upper secondary education for adults and is fully implemented from 2026. See also 13.2 and 13.3. 

The new scheme encompasses all staff working in kindergartens. Kindergarten staff may participate in collective competence development initiatives in partnership with universities or university colleges, or pursue continuing education to strengthen their individual qualifications.

Universities and university colleges are provided with funding to develop and offer continuing education programmes. Municipalities receive funding to support kindergarten owners by covering costs related to substitute staff, leave of absence when employees participate in studies, as well as travel and accommodation expenses.

Kindergarten staff who do not hold a teaching qualification or an equivalent credential may take part in vocational college programmes offered through the scheme. Furthermore, regulations on grants for collective competence development and on continuing education, which inter alia apply to ECEC, have been developed.

New national registers

New regulations for national registers containing individual-level data about children in kindergartens came into force August 1. Lack of individual-level data in kindergartens has made it difficult to gain insight into how kindergarten provision functions and whether policy measures have had the desired effect. The new registry aims to rectify this. The new registry also applies to primary and lower secondary education, see 13.2. 

Funding of private kindergartens

Amendments concerning the funding of private kindergartens will enter into force in 2026. Most of these changes will affect the grants in 2027. 

2025

The Norwegian Parliament has adopted a set of amendments to the Kindergarten Act, introducing several substantive changes to the regulatory framework governing early childhood education and care:

• Establishment of a national register: The Ministry of Education and Research is now authorised to create and maintain a national register containing individual‑level information about children attending kindergartens. The purpose of this register is to facilitate the production of reliable statistics and to support research activities in the field of early childhood education and care. The register will operate within the boundaries of national data protection legislation and will be subject to strict safeguards to ensure responsible handling of personal information.
• Revised definition of affiliated parties: The Act introduces a clearer and more comprehensive definition of parties considered to be affiliated with a kindergarten. This revision aims to enhance transparency, strengthen governance, and ensure that all entities with financial or operational ties to a kindergarten are appropriately identified and regulated under the Act.
• Stricter rules on the use of public funding and parental contributions:
  The legislation now explicitly states that all public subsidies and parental fees may only be used to cover costs that are directly connected to the approved operation of the kindergarten. Furthermore, any expenditure covered by such funds must be reasonable in scope and demonstrably necessary for achieving the intended purpose of the service or acquisition. This amendment strengthens financial accountability and seeks to prevent the misuse of public resources.
• Forthcoming changes to the financing of private kindergartens:
  The Act also introduces amendments relating to the funding framework for private kindergartens. These provisions have been adopted but have not yet entered into force. Their implementation will be determined at a later stage, following further regulatory development and consultation processes.

2024

There have been no reforms in this area in 2024.